#EnergiaAIL Women’s Division: Round 2 Previews

Annacotty is the venue for a repeat of last season’s final between UL Bohemian and Railway Union (live on irishrugby+), while newly-promoted Ennis open their run of Energia All-Ireland League home matches with a Munster derby against Ballincollig.

ENERGIA ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE WOMEN’S DIVISION – ROUND 2:

Saturday, October 4

Kick-off 5pm unless stated –

ENNIS (4th) v BALLINCOLLIG (8th), Drumbiggle Road, 1.30pm

Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Ennis: W; Ballincollig: L
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Ennis: Points: Caoilfhionn Conway Morrissey 10; Tries: Caoilfhionn Conway Morrissey 2; Ballincollig: Points: Eve Prendergast, Aoife Madigan, Kate O’Sullivan 5 each; Tries: Eve Prendergast, Aoife Madigan, Kate O’Sullivan 1 each

Preview: Ennis are set for another massive occasion, this time at their Drumbiggle Road base as Gareth O’Hanlon’s charges make their home debut in the Energia All-Ireland League. Picking up five points at Tullow was a real statement of intent from the Women’s Division newcomers.

Stationed at out-half this time, Munster’s Lyndsay Clarke grew more and more influential as the game went on in Carlow. Number 8 Caoilfhionn Conway Morrissey will be looking to add to her brace of tries when Ballincollig, who lost 29-19 to Galwegians, come calling.

Centre Kate O’Sullivan is promoted from the bench in the only personnel change for Santiago Gonzalez’s ‘Collig side. The three Fleming sisters – flanker Katelyn and front row twins Ciara and Aoife – start again as the Cork outfit go in search of their first away win in twelve months.

Recent League Meetings – N/A

IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Ballincollig to win

COOKE (10th) v TULLOW (6th), Shaw’s Bridge, 3pm

Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Cooke: L; Tullow: L
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Cooke: Points: -; Tries: -; Tullow: Points: France Bloomfield 6; Tries: Roisin O’Toole, Alex O’Brien, Katie Ann O’Neill, Chloe Farrell 1 each

Preview: A dose of home comforts for Cooke after failing to fire against a Wicklow team that is very much on an upward curve. They have some very good Ulster youngsters coming through, including 19-year-old prop Sophie McAllister who packed down in the number 8 position last week.

Brian McLaughlin’s team put a combined 100 points on Tullow last season, but this should be a much closer contest. Now coached by Steven Hogg, Tullow missed out on their first ever All-Ireland League success last Saturday when they let a 12-point lead slip in both halves against Ennis.

Scoring four tries was a big positive, nonetheless, with an excellent long-range effort from winger Roisin O’Toole the highlight. Tullow’s longest-serving player, Alex O’Brien, got on the scoresheet during the first round, watched by her older brother Sean, the former Leinster and Ireland back rower.

Recent League Meetings – Saturday, October 5, 2024: Cooke 36 Tullow 12, Shaw’s Bridge; Saturday, March 15, 2025: Tullow 5 Cooke 64, Blackgates

IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Cooke to win

UL BOHEMIAN (5th) v RAILWAY UNION (9th), Annacotty, 4pm (live on irishrugby+)

Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: UL Bohemian: W; Railway Union: L
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – UL Bohemian: Points: Caitríona Finn 6; Tries: Aoibhe O’Flynn, Eilís Cahill, Chloe Pearse 1 each; Railway Union: Points: Molly Boyne, Emily Gavin, Hannah Johnston 5 each; Tries: Molly Boyne, Emily Gavin, Hannah Johnston 1 each

Preview: An early season barometer of where these teams are at, with Railway Union, who topped the table with an unblemished record last year, in the unusual position of second-from-bottom. They lost at home to a rejuvenated Old Belvedere, and now face a trip to familiar foes UL Bohemian.

Compared to last April’s final, it is all change in Railway’s back-three, including senior exposure for teenager Ava Usanova. UL Bohs are boosted by the return of Ireland Rugby World Cup squad member Beth Buttimer, who starts at hooker, and Jane Clohessy who comes in as a replacement.

Looking forward to coming up against Railway again, UL’s new head coach Sarah Quin said: “Ourselves and Railway have been fighting it out for the last few years at the top level, and I hope that continues. Set the standard and beat the standard, and that’s the way I’m looking at it.”

Recent League Meetings – Saturday, March 15, 2025: Railway Union 17 UL Bohemian 10, Park Avenue; Sunday, April 27, 2025: Final: Railway Union 24 UL Bohemian 29, Aviva Stadium

IrishRugby.ie Prediction: UL Bohemian to win

GALWEGIANS (3rd) v WICKLOW (1st), Crowley Park

Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Galwegians: W; Wicklow: W
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Galwegians: Points: Dolores Hughes 15; Tries: Dolores Hughes 3; Wicklow: Points: Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Rebecca Brennan 10 each; Tries: Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Rebecca Brennan 2 each

Preview: Two of the victorious teams from the opening round meet in Glenina, where Wicklow completed a season’s double over Galwegians last March on the way to finishing fifth. Jason Moreton’s side started the new campaign in clinical fashion with a 44-0 dismissal of Cooke.

Wicklow are missing Ireland dual international Vicky Elmes Kinlan, the scorer of a brace of tries last Saturday, for this trip west, so Roisin Stone comes into midfield. Dannii Masters and Rebecca Brennan are also promoted from the bench, the former replacing co-captain Eimear Douglas in the front row.

Dolores Hughes’ hat-trick helped ‘Wegians to bag a bonus point of their own at Ballincollig. Jack Clarke’s starting XV for tomorrow has been boosted with the addition of Connacht starlets Emily Foley and Jemima Adams Verling, along with Grace Browne Moran, Hannah Coen, and Mollie Starr.

Recent League Meetings – Saturday, October 5, 2024: Wicklow 45 Galwegians 7, Ashtown Lane; Saturday, March 15, 2025: Galwegians 21 Wicklow 36, Crowley Park

IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Galwegians to win

OLD BELVEDERE (2nd) v BLACKROCK COLLEGE (7th), Ollie Campbell Park

Energia All-Ireland League Season’s Form: Old Belvedere: W; Blackrock College: L
Energia All-Ireland League Top Scorers – Old Belvedere: Points: Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton 14; Tries: Hannah Clarke 2; Blackrock College: Points: Maggie Boylan 10; Tries: Maggie Boylan 2

Preview: Old Belvedere made a big splash last week under new head coach Fiona Hayes. They face another Dublin derby with tomorrow’s visit of regular rivals Blackrock College, but do so without their internationals, including Hannah Clarke who bagged a double against Railway.

Julia O’Connor and Kara Mulcahy pair up in the centre for second-placed Belvedere, Brooke Gilroy and Kate Ballance also start in the back-three, and last season’s captain Lesley Ring and Merisa Kiripati, young sister of recent Ireland debutant Ivana, both feature in the back row.

Blackrock missed out on a point against UL Bohs, but their opening performance was promising. Ireland Rugby World Cup squad member Méabh Deely returns at full-back as part of six personnel changes, while Natasja Behan, named on the bench, is set to end her long absence due to an ACL injury.

Recent League Meetings – Saturday, October 5, 2024: Old Belvedere 7 Blackrock College 15, Ollie Campbell Park; Saturday, March 15, 2025: Blackrock College 19 Old Belvedere 14, Stradbrook

IrishRugby.ie Prediction: Blackrock College to win

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